At Your Command: Castle
by Taisi
Summary: After the death of his comrade, Sasuke is quite sure that his personal world has altered rotation, thus dooming him to death among the stars. But upon waking up after a lapse into unconsciousness, he finds himself in a strange world with familiar faces...
1. Prologue

Castle

Prologue:

Something Isn't Right

It was his signature jutsu: the blond ground out a grin, eyes narrowing dangerously in an animalistic look of hatred, and threw his hands up in front of him, fingers forming the seal without falter, shouting out the title of his attack and smiling easier when the smoke surrounded him. It engulfed our team as well, and the kunoichi member of our cell threw him a grateful glance; the smoke gave her time to regather herself, because we were doing rather badly. Our sensei slid his headband up, uncovering the previously hidden eye, tracing our enemies' paths, and withdrew a kunai; I rolled my eyes and slid three shuriken out of the holster strapped to my leg. Losing wasn't what our team _did. _Winning was our thing, whether it be by a long shot or barely at all. One of us pulled the team through, one of us was always strong enough. There was no reason to get so upset about it.

When the smoke cleared, Naruto's clones surrounded us. I have to admit, I was always amazed and a little impressed with how many clones he managed to conjure, without losing any of that energy. Sakura shot me a glance and I nodded, tightening my grip on the throwing stars in my fist. In front of me, Kakashi shifted his stance a bit, so he could easily defend both me and Sakura within a second's notice. It made me a little mad; could he not trust us to defend ourselves? I noticed Naruto in front of all of us, well out of our teacher's range of protection. He thought he was so great, that idiot dead-last. He was like a cockroach. He just _never died. _

Our enemies advanced and we scattered, moving quickly; so much for formation. I'd never admit it to anyone, but I loved the feeling; of running so fast you were only a blur to the naked eye. It felt a lot like flying. I frowned, reworking all my nerves into concentration on the fight. I let fly my shuriken, and landed precisely on a tree branch. My missiles hit their mark, and the moving targets fell, bleeding profusely. Allowing myself a small smirk, I glanced around for my comrades. Sakura was holding her own against one of the rogue-nin, swearing grimly under her breath as he managed to get a good hit in, and then drove him back against a tree where she finished him. Kakashi was in the midst of them, Sharingan exposed, working with it so effortlessly it made me a little jealous; his opponents each fell, one by one, and I turned my attention elsewhere, since I obviously wasn't needed there.

Where was Naruto? I scowled, glancing about for him. "Idiot," I hissed, leaping lithely from my branch and hitting the ground soundlessly, my eyes flicking over the immediate area in search of the blond. When I found him, whatever insult I'd planned just kind of died on the spot. Behind me, Kakashi hissed "_Naruto" _and Sakura gasped, hands flying to her mouth.

The orange-clad ninja was staggering forward from a blow from behind. A lethal-looking katana protruded from his back, and his eyes were wide with surprise, blood seeping through his jacket. There was a thump from behind me, and I turned around; Kakashi's opponents were all dead, now, for the platinum-haired Jounin had suddenly tired of the fight, choosing instead to end it and rush to the aid of the youngest member of Team Seven.

And for some reason, hatred built up inside me. I rushed forward, speed rivaling Kakashi's, and threw myself at the one who'd attacked Naruto, all teeth and claws and rage. I was pulling out every weapon I could get a grasp on, intent on revenge. By the time I'd finished with him, he was a mauled and steaming corpse, blackened to a crisp from my fire technique.

And behind me, Naruto slowly faded into a state most people would call "dying". But no, I didn't believe that. He was our cockroach, he couldn't die. Not so suddenly, not from a _katana, _a normal human weapon; surely it would take much, much more than that... Kakashi's expression, what could be seen of it, was tortured; Naruto lay on his side, the tip of the blade protruding from his chest, drawing rasping breaths, staring ahead with wide, unseeing eyes. Sakura dropped to her knees beside him, running careful, trembling fingers over the bloody wound, eyes sparkling with moisture she refused to let spill over.

I watched, breathing rather heavily, as Kakashi gripped the hilt of the imposing sword--I hated the sword, however inanimate it may be--and drew it slowly out. Naruto's hands, laying limply over the grass, tightened into fists, clawing the earth and leaving upturned dirt as he clenched his hand tightly; a muted whimper tore itself from his throat, making Kakashi mutter, "It's almost out, Naruto." I continued to watch as the blond bit his lip hard, hard enough to draw blood, refusing to make another sound.

Bubbling red chakra surrounded Naruto suddenly, seemingly from nowhere. Kakashi inhaled sharply, jarring the sword as his hand suddenly stilled and Naruto cried out as the blade twisted in his open wound. I watched Kakashi curse himself and finish withdrawing the blade; and we all stood back a bit, none of us willing to move too far away, and watch the fiery chakra coil around the gasping blond.

"Poisoned," I heard my sensei whisper quietly, voice so emotionless it scared me. I felt my eyes widen of their own accord and I forced my gaze to remain on my fallen comrade. _It isn't true, _I found myself thinking desperately. _It can't be true. He's lying--he's wrong._

But the chakra began to recede, drawing back into the boy, leaving him in just as sorry a state as when it had first appeared. I hesitated for a moment, cursing to the Black Realm my uncertainty, before I made my way to Naruto's side. He was staring blindly ahead, eyes wide, pupils dilated, panic written clearly across his features, fear controlling his usually vibrant, untamed gaze. "Naruto." He stopped trembling for the most part, turning his head until his gaze hit mine; he couldn't see, that much was clear. His eyes wandered over me, unable to pin me down to a precise location. But he had calmed down a bit, and that was my objective. "Naruto, stop moving, alright? Don't be an idiot, just lay still. Sakura's on her way to get help," I said, putting thick implications in my voice when I said her name; she got the point and spun on the spot, leaping into the trees and rushing in the direction of Konoha. "You'll be fine, alright? Don't get so freaked out, dead-last," I continued, forcing calm to control my voice, to make sure I guarded my fear with my mortal soul, unwilling to let Naruto fall victim to my uncertainty. _He will not die. _I would not let him.

"Sa...Sasuke...teme..." he whispered hoarsely.

"Don't talk, moron!" I hissed angrily; couldn't the idiot tell he was in serious condition? That wound was fatal.

"I couldn't keep my promise," he gasped in one slow breath. "I...couldn't keep my word..."

Kakashi was suddenly at my side, a hand on the ground on either side of Naruto's head so he could lean over the boy; the man whispered, "You will not die, Naruto." There it was: that protectiveness that so sickened me, that I hated to be given so much--there it was, being thrown over Naruto, who would normally never allow it, like a favorite blanket; all those times I stared enviously at Naruto's back, Naruto who was out of range of Kakashi's protection..."You've got to become Hokage, right?"

The corners of Naruto's mouth twitched, but the small ghost of a smile was lost before it could really have been born. He really had given up. I was stunned. That could have been the most surprising thing to ever have happened to me; in situations that seemed completely hopeless, Naruto was always the one that regathered his comrades' courage, the one to make us stand when we'd much rather fall in defeat. He was always ready to fight for us, to throw himself in front of us, but he hated bruising our pride; which is why he always shouted at us to stop being so weak, to fight our own way out.

I never thought I'd see the day when he'd quit. That could really mean only one thing..."Naruto..." I surprised myself by reaching out to touch his hand gently. "Stop. Just...stay quiet, okay? Sakura should be back any minute..." _Where the hell is she? _"She'll come back with help, you'll be just fine, usuratonkachi." I hated how he couldn't see us, how he blindly had to listen to the words of what to him seemed to be phantoms of comrades he once knew...

Naruto's clouded, unfocused eyes slid closed, the clear, oceanic blue they used to be lost forever; his smile wavering. "Kakashi-sensei..." came his voice, soft.

"Yes."

"Does it hurt?"

"What?"

Naruto's hands formed loose fists. "Does it hurt to die?"

I saw something flash behind my teacher's eyes; his expression was tortured, desperate, angry, hidden behind his mask. But he whispered, "No, Naruto. It won't hurt at all." _Please, gods, _I thought desperately, _don't make him a liar. _

And Naruto's face eased into a relaxed smile, brow smoothing out, eyes still under his eyelids. This was the expression we had come to expect of him, this was Naruto. "Okay," he muttered, not to us. "I'm coming..."

Sakura dropped from the trees and came at a run, followed closely by Tsunade and Shizune, and several other Medical-nin. She panted, falling to her knees at Naruto's side, "I brought..." I didn't have to look at her to see the expression on her face, of sudden anguish, grief; I saw it all clearly in my mind. I was numb to her as she started sobbing, numb to Tsunade who was suddenly among us, laying her hands on Naruto's bloodied chest after stripping him off his jacket, pouring all of her healing chakra into him, to Shizune who was at the Hokage's side, aiding her, yelling to the other Med-nin to help. I was aware of being gently pulled aside, out of the way. I remember glancing at my team, Sakura sobbing into Kakashi's vest, Kakashi with an arm around her, staring over her head at something that didn't exist outside his own.

And then the grounded tilted all of a sudden; I was thrown off balance. And then the world turned black.

---

The funeral procession wasn't as grand as the one for the Third had been; but between all of the Rookie Nine, Team Gai, and several other ninja, we were able to afford a beautiful one. It was an open-casket funeral; Naruto lay on the cushions limply, face relaxed as though he was simply sleeping. His hands were down at his sides, one upturned so the fingers curved delicately over the palm. His headband was tied around his neck in a fashion similar to Hinata's, and he was dressed in a traditional kimono. He looked small, in that coffin, and I'll never forget how I could count his every bruise and scar, how I could somehow miss the rising and falling of his lungs, his rhythmic breathing, gone...

I was elected to speak for him. I didn't do him credit, this I know. I didn't even have the decency to cry. Our comrades were stunned, shell-shocked, mortified. Nevermind "human tools", nevermind "show no emotion". Shikamaru and Chouji each had an arm around Ino, Kiba held Hinata close, Shino a hand tight on her shoulder, both shielding the broken girl from the outside world; Lee stood at TenTen's side, letting her cry into his shoulder, patting her back, while Neji stood on her other side, whispering things to her no one but his team could hear. And Kakashi kept a hand on Sakura's shoulder, the girl clinging to it desperately...But they all stood together. As I approached the dais, I remember being struck by such a revelation...The way my teammates all grouped around each other, how, I noticed when I looked closer, the teams weren't separately consoling each other. Kiba and Shikamaru clasped hands, Neji and Chouji, Lee and Shino...I would never have ventured to guess my fellow ninja would have been so emotional if Naruto had died...But Naruto had touched a lot of hearts.

And more than our generation was present. Tsunade, Jiraiya, Shizune, Old Man Ichiraku and his daughter Ayame, Asuma, Kurenai, Gai, Ebisu, Konohamaru's group, parents of my mourning comrades, so many faces. And Iruka was there, too. I couldn't meet his eyes, for some reason, couldn't look at his face. The one glance I stole proved him to be staring with broken-hearted emotionlessness at the coffin where the Genin that was as close as a son to him lied.

_All the broken-hearted people..._

I spoke. I don't remember what it was I said, but it had a startling effect on my audience. They stopped crying gradually (oh, so gradually) and began nodding in agreement with my words. Their expressions trembled from anguished grief ready to lapse again into hysterics. Even Tsunade was crying silently; Jiraiya had an arm around her shoulders. Finally, I turned away, began to step down. But then I glanced over; my eyes fell on Naruto's still, pale face and locked.

"YOU BASTARD!" I surprised even myself at screaming so suddenly and rushing at the casket. "YOU SORRY LITTLE BASTARD! WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" I was being held back; choked voices were pleading with me to stop, telling me it would be alright.

_They're lying._

Naruto's corpse didn't move; a part of me had been expecting him to spring up and issue a brazen challenge. That part of me died slowly, painfully, disappointed.

It would never be alright. Never again.

---

I collapsed onto my bed. My house hadn't changed. My room hadn't changed. My bed hadn't changed. But everything was different. Nothing seemed real. My clothes, my weaponry, even myself; they all seemed alien to me. When I slept, my sleep was dreamless, fitful.

Yet when I opened my eyes, I was sure I wasn't awake.

The walls around me were stone; the window above my bed was larger, curtained with heavy sheets and tassels; my bed was monstrous in size, adorned with thick down blankets and a dozen or so firm pillows, a canopy bed, with dramatic sweeps of amber obstructing my view of the rest of the room.

Numb and with an aching feeling of dread turning into a solid lump in my throat (that began sinking dangerously toward my stomach) I slid out of bed and my bare feet met a bearskin rug. _Odd. _I glanced down at myself; I was clad in a white nightshirt, although I had been sure I had not undressed from my traditional funeral garb, nor did I own such a garment.

There was a knock on the heavy wooden door; I blinked, panicking but unwilling to show it. And then a smiling brunet entered, with a scar across the bridge of his nose. At this I stared. "Iruka?" my surprised exclamation left my mouth of its own accord, I swear. I would never have believed the Chuunin would have gotten over Naruto's...end...so quickly.

"That's right," he chirped, only peering into my room and not stepping in. "Get dressed, Prince, you're late today." And then he pulled the door shut again and was gone. The light in the room flickered; torches on either side of the door.

I stood silently for about three minutes before finally coming to the firm and credible decision that I had gone completely insane.

Act 1:

End


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! n.n I'm glad to know a few of you are enjoying this new fic. Honestly, I don't know where this idea came from...I'm hoping this will be one of my longer fics, but it'll be a battle between _Castle _and _Broken Glass. _u.u;; Speaking of BG, I'm expecting that to end soon...-runs- Don't kill me! And this ISN'T yaoi! Kami-sama!...This fic's moving a bit too fast for my taste...;.; I hope you can bear with me, though. It'll start to pick up (the actual storyline, I mean .-.) next chapter; for now, I have to get there.

Set in Sasuke's POV. Some poor attempts at humor, little twists of angst and a lot of snide remarks and sarcastic commentary from the mind of the heir of the Uchiha Clan. The world trembles.

NOTE: Pages usually wear breeches and shirts while going about the day; things that could get dirty and were comfortable to work and train in. The tunic, blouse and hose were saved for special occasions, such as banquets or dinners when they had to serve.

Castle

Chapter 1:

Keep It Together

_Keep it together, Sasuke. Don't panic._

He led me down a long, wide hallway, torches adorning the wall on one side. Large pillars evenly spaced about five feet made up the eastern wall, between which I caught glimpses of the courtyard as I walked. A large stone fountain spewing crystal-clear water from a immaculately carved hawk, outspread wings depicted in detail, set in the middle of a grassy, spotless little oasis. The pillars surrounded the courtyard, revealing similar hallways to the one I was in. I couldn't see anyone else on those hallways, and my footsteps echoed as I walked.

I had discovered three things in the time since I'd woken up:

One, I had no jutsu. I knew this, because as soon as Iruka had left me in my room for those precious few minutes, I had activated my Sharingan to see what the hell was going on; well, I attempted to activate my Sharingan. It didn't work out so well; not only did I get a searing pain in both my eyes that left my breathless for about half a minute, but I also felt ridiculously weak and unsteady on my feet. Then, because not having my Kekkai Genkai freaked me out so much, I tried my fire technique; no luck. Same with any of the basics; replacement jutsu, kage bunshin, henge were all rendered useless to me.

Two, I was some form of noble here. "Here" meaning where I was at the time being. It couldn't have been any Genjutsu; I couldn't feel the illusion, and I'd never been unable to feel it before. I couldn't feel any chakra inside of me; that was scary. Anyway, the noble thing I could deal with; surely it would be no different than being a prodigious heir.

Three, everything was...calm here. Iruka seemed more cheerful than I could remember seeing him; it was such a shock after seeing the soulless, empty broken-heartedness in his eyes the night before...But it was like that everywhere. Even though I hadn't seen anyone else yet, I could tell that there was no anxiety in the air anywhere near; everything here was relaxed. The atmopshere was so peaceful that I found myself calming despite my subdued panic.

"...alright? Your Highness?"

I shook myself. "Er, yeah?"

Iruka peered at me strangely. "Are you alright? You've been acting strangely, if Your Highness doesn't mind my saying." His politeness was going to take some serious getting used to. Not that I minded respect; I just hated when I got what I didn't deserve. For some reason, that happened to me all my life.

"Call...Just call me Sasuke, please?" I don't know why my voice was so pleading. I could picture the open, earnest expression I probably wore with gross detail. This more than likely was because of how freaked out I was. Perfect.

Iruka looked at me oddly, and I could tell my command made him a little uncomfortable; but it _was _a command, so there wasn't much else he could do besides bob his head and mutter, "Of course, Prince Sasuke."

The rest of the walk passed in silence, and I fought to control the wild urge to jump up and scream "_STOP FUCKING WITH ME, GODDAMN IT!" _It was harder than it usually was to keep my cool. I mean, for one, nobody had really bugged me yet. It helps for me to know I'm keeping myself calm than it is to just act it anyway. It's normally a test of my patience to stay under control, because _Naruto _was always--

There it was. That sudden hurt clenching at something in my chest hard enough to leave me breathless. I understood right away, and resolved never to say the name again; never to _think _the name again, nor to imagine that sunshiney face, those bright blue eyes, that enthusiastic laugh.

_Is this what they mean when they say you never know what you have until its gone?_

For some reason, the only thing I could remember at that moment was all the times I'd brushed the younger boy off, told him to stay the hell away; all the times I'd mocked and ridiculed him, every time I looked the other way when he was hurting. _God, I hate this. _

"Prince, we're here," Iruka said suddenly, stopping at two huge double doors. He pushed them open slowly, the wood groaning, and then beckoned me into the room. I ducked in hastily, keeping close to the man's side, sweeping the room over quickly with a trained eye.

The room was filled with people. I guess I had been expecting some richly ornamented throne room, because this took me by surprise. Four short rows of long tables greeted me, as well as a raised dais behind them all, and a window where cooks were waiting with wooden trays. Boys roughly my age milled about, chatting amonst one another, all wearing more or less the same patched breeches and worn shirts as the ones that I had on (chosen at random from the wardrobe in 'my' quarters.) Iruka gestured that I go get my food, and then bowed and pulled the doors closed; leaving me alone, defenseless and confused.

I immediately set to readying myself for anything, marking the windows and the door behind the dais in my mental map. Out the door behind me were the hallways, but I had memerized each one on the way so it shouldn't be difficult to find my way back to my room. From there I can just go straight out the window, scale that huge wall and--

"Prince!" The voice was familar; I froze. And then three boys were around me; I recognized immediately Neji, Shino and Chouji. Chouji beamed at me, and I felt myself smile back, weak with relief; thank the _gods! _I wasn't the only one this had happened to! I opened my mouth, eager to discuss how we could get out of this nightmare with my comrades, when Shino said softly, "Aren't you hungry, Prince? You missed breakfast again."

"Really, were you up all night again?" came Neji's quiet drawl.

My relief faded. _Fuck._

Suddenly the din quieted as the door behind the dais opened; two people walked through, and I felt my heart palpitate with a passionate fury. That man--that man was..."Dad," came my whisper. Chouji glanced at me, munching an apple.

"Yeah, o'course, Prince Sasuke," he said, eyes beginning to show some concern. "He rode all the way here from his summer palace to...Prince? Are you alright? You don't look too good..."

_Well. I know now that this has to be one of the single-most stupidest things that has ever happened._

I shook my head, unallowing of any light-headedness. There was no way I could afford to pass out again. I stared at my father, taking in every detail of him. And the man beside him; Itachi's eyes swept the crowd--when they found me, they softened and he smiled brightly, none of the malevolence I saw the night he murdered our family evident.

The king said a few words, blessed the gods for this new day, told us all he expected great effort from Konoha's finest. Itachi added something about effort and working together as a group being important. Then the room bowed to them and left through that door, but not after Itachi directed a friendly wave at me.

Could this really be an illusion?

Could this be real?

_Don't panic. This is nothing. I can handle it. STAY CALM. The people here are in no way related to _my _people. I understand that now. I do, really. _I didn't understand why I was trying to convince myself this, but let it go. _They're nice, here...They're alive here..._I wanted nothing more than to run after my father, my brother, the life I had here with a family that cared, and grasp it in both hands, never let it go.

Memories flooded me, now, of days at home when I was younger, fixing dinner with my mother and presenting it to the rest of the family, laughing when they good-naturedly pretended to sample it first. Of following my brother around like a lonely puppy until he finally relented and hoisted me onto his shoulders. Of earnestly trying for my father's approval, working myself above what I was capable of, just to earn his smile.

It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. Oh, it hurt. But the pain was nowhere near the level it had been that night when Naruto--

_NO! _

But it was too late. I was remembering days with Team Seven, training to exhaustion, being (quite literally) dragged to Ichiraku's afterwards, being escorted home by a bubbly blond and an annoying pink-haired, grumbling when Kakashi had to carry me to my estate after I'd exhausted my chakra, planning a birthday party with Kakashi and Sakura that completely blew Naruto away...

_Something in me just died, I think._ I'm sure I lost some piece of me at that moment.

I didn't hear whatever it was Chouji was asking me, but I could see his eyes bright with concern. I somehow managed a smile, turned around and walked straight back out the doors I'd been led through. There was _one person _I could count on--I knew that that person would explain it all to me, for that person knew _everything_. What was happening...And even though I never imagined willingly calling for help (_ever), _I screamed as I ran down the corridor,

_"KAKASHI-SENSEEEEEIIII!"_

---

The gray-haired man looked me over, and I knew I was probably a mess. A part of me (a small part, mind) was berating me on my poor princely appearance, but the rational and somewhat incredulous part of me destroyed it (by torture unto death). I shouted at him, what I shouted I did not know, until my throat was raw, my voice hoarse. And he only watched me, unmoving, simply sitting in the window seat with his romance novel, staring at me enigmatically.

When he was sure I'd finished--and I know my rasping gasps must have given me away--he stood and walked over to a small table set against a wall with a pitcher and a drinking cup rested upon it. He poured me a cup of water and I drained it as soon as it left his hand. I chided myself--it was one of the first things we learned in the ninja academy; what food you get, ration, because you'll never know when you'll eat next. And here I was gulping down water. I made myself swallow slowly, and only when I'd finished two glasses did the man say, "You seem upset."

_I _am _upset! I want blood! BLOOD! _"A bit miffed is all."

"Really? Care to tell me why?"

_You know bloody well I care to tell you why if I ran all the way down here for your help. _"If you have the time."

Kakashi glanced at his book, and set it aside. "I'm sure I could find some."

But when I opened my mouth, nothing came out. I couldn't exactly tell him I was from another world, another time era, another _dimension..._I couldn't voice the words I really, really needed to say...I must have looked like an idiot, standing there with my mouth hanging open; so I shut up and spun on my heel, headed for the door. "Nevermind!"

I felt his eyes on me on the way out the door...and I froze. Spinning back around I stared at him; namely, his face. His cloth mask was in place, covering the lower half of his face, but two dark eyes stared back at me, the left every bit as apathetic as the right. My fingers shook on the doorknob; "Something you need, Highness?" Kakashi asked quietly.

_Everything's changed._

"N...Nevermind."

_Everything's different._

Pulling the door closed behind me, I stood silently on the other side, letting the hard wood seperate me from my teacher.

_Nothing's the same._

---

Getting directions from one of the palace staff, I meandered out to the training fields just as the other boys in my age group were gathering their practice staffs. "Prince!" I glanced over in time to reach out and catch the staff tossed to me. Chouji smiled at me, holding his own at the ready, and said, "Spar with me?"

Unable to refuse without sounding suspicious, I nodded, gripping the semi-familiar weapon tightly; I slid my hands apart until they felt comfortable, and spread my feet as the other boys were doing. The teacher--I did a double-take when I saw it was Iruka--gave the order, and the clacking of wood against wood rang out. Chouji struck at me, and I raised my staff in time to block; we repeated this several times, falling into the rhythm quickly. And then I was stricking, Chouji blocking; the round boy was an excellent partner, moving his staff at just the right moment, correcting my mistakes with only subtle movements on his side (shifting over, striking when I raised my staff to block out of turn) that I wouldn't have caught if I hadn't been looking.

I was genuinely sorry when it was time to put our staffs away, and realized we'd been at it for hours. It wasn't the first time I'd unconsciously used training as a way to escape what I should've faced headon--but I really couldn't figure out a way out of my current predicament.

_There's no way out._

I might as well just live with it, I concluded. While I didn't have the same relationships with them as I did before, I had everyone here that I had in my...old life? And besides that, life could, quite possibly, be a lot easier here. There was nothing in particular binding me--nothing I could face. So, like the coward I was, I decided to try life here, in this kingdom, where I was royalty.

..._THE HELL AM I THINKING?! I WANT OUT! NOW!_

"...with us? Prince?"

I blinked once, glancing over at Chouji, who'd been talking to me in his gentle tone. He smiled helplessly when he realized I'd been zoning out, and said, "I was wondering if you wanted to visit the village with us. His Grace Duke Ralond said that you, me, Neji, and Shino could skip the camping trip we have to do with the first-years and spend a few days in the village instead; His Majesty told His Grace that he didn't have any problem with it, either."

_King--Majesty. Prince--Highness. Duke--Grace. I can get through this. _"Um...I dunno..."

Chouji looked crestfallen. "It's just, I told Shika that I'd introduce--"

"Shik...amaru?" I interrupted, stopping walking and staring at him, clearing all emotion from my face.

"Yeah, him and Kiba and Ino and Hinata and Sakura and--"

My head was spinning; some inner voice was _screaming _at me. "I-I'll go," I said quickly, afraid I might lose my chance if I didn't speak up fast enough.

"Really?!" Chouji looked utterly elated, like I'd promised him the key to the city or something. "I'll go tell Shino!"

_I'm sure he'll be thrilled, _I thought with a bit of my old self; hearing the sarcasm bounce around my head filled me with relief. _So I've not lost it completely. Not yet, anyway. I wonder what toll this trip's gonna take on me..._But how could I have said no to a chance at seeing my comrades happy and alive after seeing them so broken-hearted the last time we'd gathered together?

Act 2:

End


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Yaaay! I'm updating!! It's only the third chapter, but it seems like a lot...But, oh well. Um, I'm kinda wingin' it with this; I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on medieval times, but I read a lot of fiction/fantasy about knights and castles and royalty and stuff, so...Let's get started, shall we?

- How do I _do _that?! Everytime it happens it's an accident, dangit!!

P.S.--THIS IS NOT YAOI, BL, SHOUNEN-AI, GUYxGUY, BOY ON BOY. Jeeezis. I've nothing against the aforementioned, but that's _not _what this story is. So XP to all of you who thought so.

Castle

Chapter 2:

Reunited

I packed my things slowly, having been told to bring enough for a few days' time. Normally visits to the village were only meant to be for a day, thus eliminating any need to bring sleeping gear, but apparently we'd be staying longer because of the whole trip we were skipping out on. I tied up the canvas bag, throwing my rolled up blanket on top of it. Frowning and glancing about, with the ominous feeling of leaving something forgotten, I started when there was a loud rap on the door and turned around in time to watch the door swing open to admit a silver-haired, masked man. "Prince," he said in a formal acknowledgement, before he was suddenly striding across the room and drawing me into a firm embrace. "Be careful out there," the man muttered softly in my ear. "I don't want to have to avenge anything that happens to you, understand? You know your father has enemies."

I was rattled, to say the least. He held me for a few more seconds, before pulling away and ruffling my hair; I could respond with more than a blank stare. He smiled (I could tell because his eyes closed and curled into crescents) and he turned and swept out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him. I only stared at the door in a daze; the only thought running through my mind was a simple one:_ I didn't know he cared so much_.

To keep my hands busy, I unrolled my sleeping gear, rolled it back up again and strapped it tightly to my bag. I was shouldering it when there was another loud knock on the door. I turned warily, but the knocker seemed content to wait for me to open the door. I did so, sighing with relief to see Chouji. He smiled hugely at me, brimming with excitement.

"Are you ready, Prince?" he asked, glancing over my shoulder into my room. "Hurry up and get your stuff, Shino and Neji are waiting with the horses." He beamed again, and rushed off down the hall, leaving a suddenly very tired me standing in the doorway. _I never knew he was so energetic_, I grumbled to myself, racing back to grab the bag I'd dropped, before tumbling out the door and shutting it firmly behind me and locking it. _Why's he so excited anyway, goddammit_.

I trotted down the hall, vaguely remembering which way it was to the yards where I'd sparred with Chouji. When I finally made my way out, I could see from where I stood in the doorway my companions mounted on their horses. Shino was holding the reins of another from his superior height on the saddle, and as he passed them to me, I felt my mouth drop open in awe.

The beast whose reins Shino offered me was magnificent. Its coat was a glossy white, its mane the same magnificent color; liquid brown eyes penetrated my own dark gaze, and it bumped its head against my chest when I approached. "Snow's happy to see you," Chouji said, stroking his own mount affectionately. "You haven't ridden her for a long time." I couldn't find any words to say, only stroked Snow with a gentle hand. _...She's beautiful. _I threw my bag up, attaching it to the saddle, and then swung myself into place.

"Okay," Neji said when it was appropriate, "let's go."

The ride to the village was uneventful; it took a few hours, and we stopped to rest our horses frequently. Neji had to berate me a few times for spoiling Snow with sugar and apples; Snow didn't seem to mind, but apparently Neji knows best, so...

We made good time, arriving a little after noon. Prance, Chouji's horse, lived up to its name, trotting through the gates jauntily; Shino's Song and Neji's Crest followed in a more dignified manner, and I steered Snow after them. The village was teeming with life, reminding me so much of the Konoha I once knew. The gates opened into the market, and we slowed to a stop. There were people everywhere; food vendors on the streetside, shopkeepers throwing bread to stray cats, children playing together, veering effortlessly around the stalls.

"Where'd they say they'd meet us?" Neji called to Chouji over the noise. Chouji stood in his stirrups, shading his eyes as he peered over the heads of the villagers.

"They said near the--Oh! There they are!" Prance reared back eagerly, picking up his master's excitement, and Chouji stroked his neck to calm him. He swung himself down from the saddle, keeping a firm grip on the reins, and began leading the horse through the crowd. Shino and Neji followed suit, and I was left to mimic them, rushing Snow forward in the path they'd created through the people.

When I'd finally made it through to where they stood by a huge fountain, I saw that Shino was holding both Song's and Prance's reins; frowning to myself, I glanced around for Chouji. A sudden cry of "Shikamaru!" drw my gaze to where Chouji was tackling a tall, pony-tailed youth with a swaggering frame, bored expression, intelligent gaze and, when those eyes lit upon Chouji, endlessly patient smile. Shikamaru brought up his arms in time to catch Chouji's hug, chuckling, "What a welcome," and that's when my eyes strayed to the people standing beside him.

I kind of numbed a little bit, seeing them all standing there; Neji and Shino strode forward and were instantly attacked. Neji, by a black-haired youth with innocent round eyes who launched himself at him enthusiastically, and Shino by a grinning, sharp-eyed brunet youth with a white puppy at his feet.

After being so scared, this kind of calmed me; and, as odd as it sounds, it also gave me absolute faith in my friends that I ashamedly kept from them until now. Because, no matter where I am, they're with me. Looking back, I see that now. I've never really been alone; like, ever. And I never once thanked them for being there with me.

"Oh!" Chouji exclaimed suddenly from where he was hanging off Shikamaru. He trotted over--_Does he ever rest?--_and dragged me to them. "This is Sa--Prince Sasuke," he informed them, gesturing at me. "But he's not worth the formality."

I was _not, _I am proud to report, too far gone to scowl. The three boys grinned at me;

"Hi!"

"Hey."

"Yo."

"Such disrespect for your betters," I heard Shino say quietly, fiddling with his glasses.

"Now, Shino," Neji said with a small smile. "Is 'better' the right word for Sasuke? Consider your words."

My mouth hung open. "I'm standing right _here!"_

"Oh...sorry, we didn't see you," Chouji said, looking mildly surprised. I threw one of Snow's apples at him.

"Hey, where's--" Neji asked suddenly, glancing around.

"He told us he'd catch up," Shikamaru said dubiously, dark eyes unsure. "I don't like him wandering around on his own, but you know how he gets."

"Did he say where he was going?" Chouji asked, frowning now.

"Who're we talking about?" I asked dryly, a little sick at being kept out of the loop. _It's like their doing it on _purpose, _too..._

But I should've kept my mouth shut. I shouldn't have said anything at all; because at that moment, everyone's heads turned to the side, all of them seeking out the same thing. At that _moment, _I frowned in confusion, and looked as well.

And it was in that moment that I saw Naruto.

I hadn't been expecting it; I hadn't let myself dare to hope that I'd ever see him again. Once he'd died back in the world I know, I thought he'd be dead everywhere, in every world, in every dimension. I thought his soul was lost to me forever. After all that misery and torment--thinking that if I'd been there, if I'd been at his side like a true comrade, he might not've been snuck up on--here he was...

Running towards us, because he was always running, with that goofy, happy-go-lucky expression and that radiantly cheerful smile. I felt myself go a little weak at the sight of him; I tried to berate myself on my lack of poise, but this was...this was like a _ressurection. _My comrade...my best friend, back from the dead.

"Naruto! We were worried!" Lee chided him as soon as he'd joined them. "Don't go off without telling us where you'll be!" When Naruto made a face, Kiba thunked him on the head. Chouji smiled relievedly, and Neji ruffled his sunshine-blond hair. Shino, as was expected, did nothing, but still earned a smile from the blue-eyed menace. Then those eyes lit on me and I froze.

"Oh! Naruto, this is Prince Sasuke, minus the 'prince'," Lee said, gesturing at me. I twitched--_Can't they respect my higher status?!...Well, it is _them...I waited for Naruto's loud, enthusiastic voice to ring out, but was dissapointed. Blinking, I saw him only gazing at me curiously, before tilting his head with a smile and stretching out his hand.

I shook it slowly. "Um...Hi?"

"Oh," Kiba looked at me, a little put-out. "He doesn't talk much."

... "Eh?"

"I fear for our village's safety if our future ruler's intelligence remains at this low," Shikamaru muttered. I dug around for another apple and I _swear _Snow glared at me.

"He's mute," Neji said quietly. "Or, at least, he never talks. To anyone."

--

I watched him play with Akamaru and Kiba as the others went to buy lunch, my throat dry. _He didn't speak? _And no one knew why; it's not like they could ask (expecting an answer). He just stopped talking one day and never spoke again.

_I won't ever hear him...?_

Akamaru licked his face, and he smiled, stroking the dog's head; apparently, the place they were going to get food from was run by a guy who strongly disliked (read: hated with the burning passion of a thousand suns) animals, dogs especially. And, since Kiba was loathe to part with his beloved puppy, he stayed behind with us. I wasn't allowed to go because, although I was the prince, I didn't know my way around my village, and would probably get stolen by some random weirdo. Nice, I know.

_He'll...He'll never call me "teme", ever again?_

Those bright, blue eyes fixated on me; the blond stared at me directly from where he sat on the ground. My own eyes widened--his gaze was so _expressive. _I could practically hear what they were telling me. Eyes like sapphires, with an oceanic depth of perception; adventurous and playful, serious and determined when he needed to be.

_...Have they always been that way?_

"Oi! Princely!" Kiba was shaking me by the shoulders; I blinked. "You okay in there?" Before I could word my response, Chouji's voice rang out: "We got the food!" Immediately, Kiba released me and I, caught off-guard, fell over backward. Snow wickered from where she and the other horses stood by the fountain. I glared at her. Kiba was chewing on some kind of meat, sitting on the fountain's edge, giving a hunk to Akamaru. Naruto's eyes brightened on a bowl in one of Neji's hands, and he lept for it. Neji surrendered it unto him, giving him a pair of chopsticks as well. Naruto sat crosslegged with his back to the fountain's foundation, slurping up noodles.

I had to smile; that was one thing that would never change. I heard Kiba mutter, "I think we might need to hire a healer for Princely. He seems whacko." Then Kiba grinned at Neji. "A healer like your cuz!"

_Hinata._

Neji blinked, then smiled smally. "Well, she is a practiced healer--one of the best."

"Can we see her?" I asked without thinking. Everyone stared at me. "Er...I mean, it'd be interesting to meet a healer, and she's your cousin, so..."

Shino fiddled with his glasses, saying quietly, "It's a long ride from here, and we only have three horses."

"Aww, let's go!" Chouji said, warming to the idea. "We've got almost four days to spend with you guys, and we never get to see Hinata! Our horses are strong, they can carry two people each. 'Sides, Princely--" apparently that nickname was catching on, goddammit "--wants to meet her."

"I just don't know," Shikamaru said, crossing his arms and closing his eyes in irritation. His food (consisting mostly of some cheap fruit) lay untouched on the fountain's edge.

"Well..." I raised one eyebrow at them. "What if I were to issue a royal command?" _I'm the prince...I can do that, right? _Their silence wasn't reassuring.

"Then our hands would be tied!" Chouji cheered, throwing his arms up. "Huzzah!"

After finishing lunch--some kind of kebabs--we saddled up; Shikamaru rode on Prance with Chouji, Kiba and Akamaru on Song with Shino, Neji and Lee (who was forced) on Crest. I situated Naruto in front of me so he could hold the reins, and clicked to get Snow moving.

_Maybe Hinata can heal his voice. _

_Or maybe...maybe his spirit._

Act 3:

End

(I'm sorry it was so short!)


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Zomg. I'm soooo sorry this update has taken this long. I know my excuses may seem hollow, but allow me to try…

On top of my life being suckish, and Writer's Block eating my soul, I started this chapter on someone else's computer, which I didn't always have access to. Since I do now, I'm going to utilize this opportunity just for you….

_**WARNING**_: There will be _**NO PAIRINGS**_. NONE. At all. There will be bonding between friends and nothing more. Sasuke's too stressed out at the moment to be dealing with a new relationship, anyway.

_Sasuke_: Damn straight.

Castle

Chapter 3:

Second Chances

Naruto sighed, looking grim. "What's wrong, Naruto?" Chouji asked him, drawing back lightly on Prance's reins to slow him to Snow's pace. I glanced at him incredulously; did he really expect Naruto to answer?

But Naruto reached out and clenched his small hand around Chouji's sleeve. Chouji was silent, then smiled. "The saddles hurt at first, but you'll get used to them—and we'll be there soon, and Hinata's always got a treat for you, so cheer up."

And Naruto smiled at him, and drew his hand away after a moment. Chouji nodded, "Don't sweat it," and urged Prance back up to where Neji's Crest was leading the way.

_What was that all about?_ I thought but didn't ask. I only peered down at Naruto's face; his head tucked under my chin, and frowned. _It's like Chouji was having a two-sided conversation, but that's not possible…._

"Naruto, Sasuke's dying from all those unanswered questions," Shikamaru drawled lazily from Prance's saddle. "Give him a break, would ya?"

And then those laughing blue eyes were peering up at me, and Naruto raised a hand above his head. I blinked, then gathered the reins in one hand and grasped his with the other.

_Like this, Prince Sasuke._

My eyes widened; Snow sensed my alarm and whinnied nervously. _What…was that just now…?_ I stared down at him in alarm. _Was that just telepathy…? How the hell—_

_It seems fair to warn you that I can hear you right now,_ came the amused response to my thought-to-be private musings._ I'm sorry if I'm making you nervous; as soon as you let go of my hand, I won't be able to hear anything you don't say._

He apparently thought his method of communication was too unnatural for my sense of security; the others—ahead and around us—were silent, staring ahead. Obviously preparing to pass judgment on my reaction, not that I blamed them; with a friend like Naruto to look out for, I'd be wary (read: untrusting) of everyone, too, even my prince.

Never one to disappoint, I only tightened my grip on Naruto's hand and rested my chin on his head again. I could tell he was startled; to my immense pleasure, everyone was. But, for the moment at least, I was elated, euphoric, even—

He spoke to me. I heard him speak; his voice was the same as it always had been, I never thought I'd hear him again. It felt so…nostalgic. My dead teammate, returning from the afterlife; were this moment to last forever, I'd never be as happy again.

I had my best friend, my brother back.

_Thank you, Naruto._

I wasn't sure if he'd reply; and then I heard his soft _No problem_, and felt my new friends' relief. I smiled to myself, drawing my hand away. I didn't want the boy to hear what I was thinking next;

That things could've been so much like this if I had been different before he died.

--

We pulled our horses to a stop in front of a pretty little cottage the likes of which I'd seen in picture books. We made our way through a huge walk-through garden, gazing around in appreciation at the flowers and fountains, when a voice called out with some surprise, "Neji?"

I glanced up in time to see Neji's eyes soften and his lips form into a careful smile. "Hinata," he said by-way of greeting; when the slender brunette ran to him and hugged him hard, he wrapped his arms tightly around her in return.

"Neji, you never come visit me anymore," she said quietly, smiling hugely. "It's been too long since I've seen you or your friends." She glanced at me and blinked. "And I don't believe we've met."

"This is Pr—" Chouji paused. "Sasuke. His name is Sasuke. He's a page, too." I knew better than to correct him; rather I smiled, and bowed to her. She was a lady after all, and if she was precious to Neji, she was precious to me.

I wondered when I'd started to think like that.

"I see," the slender girl smiled again. I hadn't realized until then how pretty Hinata was when she smiled. "Well, it's very nice to meet you, Sasuke."

Naruto's fingers grazed my shirt, and his whisper brushed quickly through my mind, _She's very shy with royalty. Chouji meant no disrespect when he introduced you without your title. _Amazingly, I could feel his faint concern.

I realized then that he was worried for Chouji; quickly, before he drew his hand away, I muttered as though I were simply musing and had forgotten entirely that Naruto could hear,_ It's not like I need it broadcasted that I'm royalty. It'll be nice to have an actual conversation without the "Highness." Chouji did me a favor, I'll have to thank him later._

I glanced down into a very pleased Naruto's face, whose expressive eyes were approving; and then he reached over to Hinata, who took his hand and kissed his forehead like he was her very favorite little brother in the whole wide world.

"It's good to see you again," she told him, taking his hand and leading him into the house. "You look hungry; let's get you something to eat."

"Heeyyy, I'm pretty sure I look hungry, too," Kiba pointed out hopefully. Akamaru yipped.

And Hinata laughed light-hardedly; I don't think I'd ever heard her laugh before. "Well, I'll feed you, too. Anyone else?"

Chouji, Lee and Kiba streamed forward shamelessly, leaving Neji, Shikamaru, Shino and I to take up the rear with a solemn exasperation.

--

I did not expect to see Sakura there. She was wearing a pretty white healers' habit, the sleeves rolled up and her hair tied back with a cloth. It was a shock, seeing her, but I'd long since braced myself for this.

Her eyes were very big and very green, and soft with a compassion I'd never seen in her before. When she saw the group Hinata led in, her face brightened with a smile and she rushed to them at once. "Hey, you," she greeted Naruto, kissing his hair, before she turned to look at the rest of us, looking us all over individually. "Well, it's good to see you're all taking care of yourselves." She hesitated, then frowned. "Shikamaru, you look thin."

Shikamaru shrugged. I frowned as well, looking over at him. He was indeed thin, and I was startled at how I could've missed it. Sakura lifted his shirt, already muttering about herbs and potions she could conjure; his ribs were clearly visible, and I felt my mouth hang open.

Naruto came to stand beside me; his arm brushed mine. _The village is very poor,_ he explained to my incredulous self. This method of communication was very subtle, and I was glad for his attempt to be furtive_. Shikamaru and Lee are the only two of us who can work, since Kiba's got Akamaru and I…. Well, people don't like it when you don't talk to them, for whatever reason._ I felt a sudden anger towards whichever people had turned Naruto away; Naruto felt it and continued, _It's in their nature. They can't help who they are. And Shikamaru says that I shouldn't make people aware I communicate like this. _He sighed. _Nevertheless…everything Shikamaru and Lee earns goes toward food for the four of us—five, counting Akamaru—and there's never much to begin with._

_Still,_ I pressed, _you're not as thin as he is. Why's that?_

Had Naruto been talking with me verbally, this was the point where he would've lowered his gaze. _That's…Shikamaru isn't hungry a lot of the time. At first, he tried to eat anyway, but he just threw it all up later._

Shikamaru's body had probably become used to a constant hunger. I knew there was an appropriate medical term for that, and I cursed myself for having forgotten it._ Iruka-sensei taught us that stuff for a reason_, I raged inwardly. Naruto felt my anger, but apparently he'd missed what I'd muttered, and was confused for a moment. _You should tell Sakura that. I'm sure—_

_We don't often make these trips, which was one of the reasons we were able to convince Neji to make this one, remember? We don't have horses, and neither do Hinata or Sakura. Anything they gave him now would help him for a little bit, but the pain would come back—and he'd have to get readjusted to it, and that would hurt him. _Naruto was blatantly against this idea; his entire self opposed it. He made that much clear.

I didn't like the idea of my friends living on the street, when I enjoyed such wealth. I made a decision then, and I shared it with Naruto:

_You are all coming to live with me in the castle. No ifs, ands or buts. G'head and tell the others._

Something about the way I said it made him realize there'd be no changing my mind. So he hesitated, then moved away from me and over to Kiba, touching his hand gently; there was a moment of silence between the two (during which they completely ignored the very loud argument taking place between Shikamaru and Sakura, neither of whom had any intention of backing off) and then Kiba's eyes got wide. He stared at Naruto, who shrugged and moved over to Lee.

I smirked, pleased with myself, but felt it fade fast.

_Back home, I might never have done something like this._

--

Dinner was a loud affair; everyone was laughing and there would occassionally be some racing around the table or thrown food for a questionable comment. Akamaru aquainted himself with Sakura's cat; their yowls and hisses could be heard from the next room. And throughout it all, Naruto smiled.

I never thought I'd come to miss his laugh.

We all fell asleep in the dining room, heads nestled in the tablecloth. Kiba and Akamaru were curled up under their chair, and Chouji and Shikamaru had found sanctuary under the table. Naruto lay nestled against Hinata, who'd fallen asleep stroking his hair. Neji and Lee were sleeping soundly beneath the open window, and Shino was just kind of reclined in his chair. Right before I dozed off, I looked about me at all the friends I was so lucky to have. My sleep was a dreamless one; for the first time in who knows how long, I was plagued with no nightmares.

--

We lingered at Hinata's house for several days, but Neji finally (reluctantly) told us we needed to head back. I was sorry; we'd all been enjoying Hinata and Sakura's hospitality, and we were all more than a little disappointed that we had to go. Hinata hugged all of us, even me, someone she'd just met, with affection; Naruto reached out and took her hand. Whatever he told her made her smile, and she kissed his head again before sending him off. Sakura waved goodbye from the doorway, and Lee promised we'd visit again first chance we got. I made a mental note to make sure we saw that promise through.

We were all worn out by the time we reached the castle. The guards looked at our guests oddly, but said nothing except "Good evening, Highness," as we rode by. After stabling the horses, the eight of us made our way wearily into the castle. Shikamaru and the others hadn't gotten the chance to argue this arrangement yet, but by now they were too tired to give much thought as to where they slept. Iruka was there to meet us in the corridor; one of the other servants must have warned him about our four village friends, because he welcomed them warmly and offered to lead them to their rooms.

When they were gone, and after Chouji, Shino and Neji said their goodnights, I wandered aimlessly around my castle until I found a corridor that looked familiar. I passed an also quite familiar fountain, and let instinct lead me to my room. Once there, I wasted no time in shedding my shoes and coat and bags and falling onto my bed.

--

The morning came much too soon for my liking; I was awakened by a very loud bell, and my hopes of sleeping past it were dashed when Iruka once again came to collect me. Mournfully, I dragged on my shirt and breeches and stumbled out the door with a yawn.

_I know princes should behave with more diginity, but right now I don't give a shit. _

I'd all but forgotten about Naruto and the others; but when I rounded a corner, and a hand grabbed my wrist, and my mind was suddenly filled with very frantic and indignant thoughts, I was reminded. I looked down into furious blue eyes, and grinned. "Hey...sleep okay...?"

_No! I woke up with no idea where I was!_

"I told you--"

_You can't tell someone things when they're tired!_

"...That's true, but..."

Naruto dropped my hand. I could tell he was scared; he'd woken up alone, probably for the first time in years. I knew we were attracting attention, but I didn't really care. "Naruto...do you want me to tell Iruka to put all of you guys in the same room?" It wouldn't be too much of a request.

Naruto hesitated, before nodding once. I smiled. "Are you hungry?"

Another nod; it came quicker than the last.

"Then let's go eat. I'm sure the others are already in the mess hall." Naruto hesitated, looking around him at the new world he'd found himself. I felt bad for my previous carelessness, and offered him my hand. Maybe then he'd be able to hear my clear intentions. He looked at me for a moment, before slipping his fingers into mine and allowing himself to be led down the hall.

Sure enough, his friends were already at the table, gourging themselves, with the exclusion of Shikamaru, on the fine palace food. "Naruto," Kiba grinned and waved him over, "we've been waiting for you! Look, honey rolls!"

Naruto's face brightened, and I couldn't tell whether or not it was because he'd found his friends, or at the prospect of warm, sweet food. I decided it was probably both. He trotted over and slid in between Shikamaru and Kiba, munching into a roll and beaming with delight.

It was sad that they took such joy in what we took for granted.

Act 4:

End

(Once again, shortness...)


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: Holy shit, it's the elusive "update"! :O

Okay, guys, there's absolutely no excuse for my taking this long to update my stories. S'just, I've moved like, three times since the last update, and I've had to deal with my five year old and one year old cousins (and by deal with I mean care for), and my life has gotten like, ninety-eight times more stressful than it used to be. My stories have all been suffering from my Writer's Block; I haven't written anything more than a drabble or oneshot in a long, _long _time.

I'll do my very best not to ever lapse out of it like that again; thank you so much for your patience, and please continue to bear with me!

Castle

Chapter Four:

Forward

I glowered across the table at Iruka, an arm firmly around Naruto's shoulders. Shikamaru and Kiba were behind me, Naruto at my side, and I had no intention of backing down. The brunet man looked back at me a little helplessly, brown eyes worried.

"Prince--"

_"No." You might as well leave it, Iruka-sen...Iruka. I'm not changing my mind._

"Prince, while I admire your kindess, you can't just move village children into the castle without taking the appropriate measures."

I glared mulishly at the floor. "I don't care." But as much as it pained me to admit it, I was quickly losing the argument before it really even started. Iruka noticed, too, and went on quickly.

"I'll assume you haven't asked their parents, either--and what about any friends they might have? You can't just ask these kids to pick up and leave their home."

Kiba muttered something about people acting like they weren't there, but Iruka had a solid point. I hadn't thought of that. Even as my mind rushed for a response, my grip on Naruto loosened fractionally.

_I don't want to be selfish here._Back home, I didn't give a damn about anyone else, as long as I got what I wanted. But after worming his way into my life, Naruto became the one person I'd take into account. The only person I'd consider, but I still wasn't around when it mattered.

_I wasn't around, and he--_

A fresh wave of nausea struck me, and my shinobi training took hold before I could stagger. I felt Naruto's sudden alarm, heard his voice in my head as he tried to reach me.

Shaking my head to clear it, I told him, _It's alright. _He hesitated, gazing uncertainly at me, and I offered him a smile. _It's fine, really. Just a headache. _His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't say anything. Lying to Naruto was always a challenge--even moreso now, when he could feel my mind reeling.

I'd been silent for a little too long, and Iruka was looking uneasy again. After a minute, I said, "If...they have family there, then..."

Shikamaru sighed suddenly, moving forward. "Don't bother with that, Prince." His dark eyes met mine and then he looked past me at Iruka. "We have no family. It's just us."

_Ouch. _I'd guessed as much, from the way Shikamaru seemed to be taking care of them all, but it was still so strange; here, where I had family, all my comrades were orphans. Most of Iruka's resolve crumbled at that; he was an orphan himself. Or, he was where I came from. His eyes turned a little empathetic, and he gazed at each of my friends in turn.

His eyes seemed to linger on Naruto. As I was deciding whether to be wary of that or not, he heaved a long-suffering sigh and stood from the table, looking slightly exasperated and much more like the Iruka I knew. "Have it your way," he said with, surprisingly, a smile. "Honestly, Prince, I'm glad you put up a fight. Don't worry about Kakashi, I'll deal with him."

I hadn't been worried about Kakashi. I was suddenly a little nervous. Why should I have been worried about Kakashi?_ Who is he here? _

But then my attention was drawn to the doorway, where there was a yelp and a "No, no, _wait--"_before the doors burst open to admit Neji, Shino, Chouji and Lee. The three pages were looking disgruntled and squished, under Lee, who seemed to have caused their current predicament. He was on top of the pile and rolled off quickly, trotting over to us with a big smile on his face. Almost automatically, Shikamaru raised an arm to him and Lee tucked himself against Shikamaru's side, telling him all about the things Neji showed him around the castle.

As Chouji and the others picked themselves up, Chouji said, "Er...we weren't listening in, we just happened to be--"

"--pressed up against the door?" I finished, raising an eyebrow. And as the three of them immediately found something else to look at, I heard Iruka smother a chuckle behind his hand and I couldn't help a smile of my own.

* * *

I wasn't sure, but from what I'd gathered, the kingdom was a peaceful (albeit poor) one. The castle was situated so that the village lay spread out before it. It was positioned in the same place the Hokage monument was in my own world, or so I thought. The view from the top was the same, anyway.

My village friends fell into step with their new life pretty quickly. Iruka took them all under his wing almost immediately, which didn't surprise me; he had them fitted for decent clothes and enrolled them in the classes that pages were required to take. Down in the village, there weren't exactly open opportunities for poor children to get schooling, so there wasn't much they knew by the book. Somehow, though, it didn't surprise me to learn that Shikamaru could read.

Ahh...Shikamaru.

After moving into the castle, the heavy responsibility of keeping his friends alive began to ease off him; very slowly, the constant stress was beginning to ebb away. He'd never stop looking after them, and there'd always be that lingering fear for them in some corner of his mind, but he was slowly beginning to relax in his new home. He was filling out, anyway, and it made me feel good--_great--_to know he was finally eating decently. That had to mean something.

And I wasn't the only one to notice. Chouji caught me by the arm some weeks after their arrival at the palace, holding me back as the others went ahead of us so that whatever he had to say would be kept between the two of us.

"He'd've died," Chouji had cried then, rubbing at his eyes with his sleeve. "He'd've gotten sick and died, he never _ate--_there was never enough food for everyone, so he always gave them his share...I couldn't sneak stuff out often enough--they caught me once, which made it even harder...I don't know why you took them in, but please, please don't kick them out..."

I couldn't even think to be offended. Whatever kind of person the prince was before I woke up here, he was definitely not the type to bring village children with nothing to offer into the palace. So Chouji would have every reason to worry; would the prince's sudden goodwill vanish as soon as it had appeared? And even if it did, what could Chouji do? Things were getting better, but it would only be that much worse when their good fortune fell through.

Seeing him so torn up made something in me ache.

And so I told him, meaning every word with all my heart, that as long as I was alive, I would never stand by and let them suffer.

Not that I needed that promise to Chouji to hold me to it. Life was pretty much about a million times better now.

I'd never seen Neji look so...like a _kid _as he did when he was with Lee. Not that he was anywhere near _half _as excited as Lee was when Neji had free time to spend with him. Kiba trailed Shino relentlessly, Akamaru in tow, pelting him with question after question about the castle, the training, the grounds--and Shino answered them all calmly and at length, which surprised me; I'd never heard him say more than three words to a person outside a mission. Shikamaru, when he wasn't in classes, would stretch out in the grass and watch the clouds drift lazily along for hours. I couldn't see what was so interesting about the clouds, but Chouji seemed to.

And Naruto, who seemed to breathe a bit of joy into me everytime I saw him _(he was alive!), _was slowly winning the hearts of Iruka, the castle staff as a whole and, I was thrilled to note, Kakashi. I wasn't entirely sure what role Kakashi played at the castle, but it was still rather satisfying to know that he was human enough to fall as completely under Naruto's charm as the rest of the world.

For all that Naruto couldn't speak, he was still the most expressive person I'd ever met.

I thought a lot about what might've happened to make Naruto stop talking. He'd talked before, Kiba and the others told me as much, but he just quit one day and never said another word. Was it about that time that he began communicating telepathically? And how did _that _happen?

Was he even physically capable of speaking anymore? He didn't seem to be hurt, and if he was simply choosing not to talk he had to slip up here and there, he was a kid (he was _Naruto) _after all. But he never said a word. He never even laughed--and the Naruto I remembered loved laughing more than he loved a lot of things.

I didn't like to let Naruto out of my sight for too long. That sounds bad, but...the last time I did, the last time I let him wander off, he was killed. He had _died. _He had died right before my eyes...

And just thinking that was enough to make me have to stagger to stay upright, nausea threatening to overwhelm me. Everytime those thoughts crossed my mind, my head started to xspin. So I didn't think about it too much anymore.

Besides, I had plenty of other things to occupy my somewhat exhausted mind. Itachi was one of them.

It was so _strange_ talking with him here, where he acted just like _my _Itachi used to before.... But there was no malice in his eyes now. Everytime he saw me, he'd smile at me with all the kindness in the world, making me feel like a child again. For some reason, I didn't like to be around him. Maybe it was self preservation; when I got home, Itachi wouldn't be the model big brother anymore. He'd be the homicidal nukenin again. But whatever the reason, I avoided him as subtly as I could.

Oddly enough, my father was easy to speak to and be around. He acted much like the man I knew as a small boy; was it wrong of me not to feel more thrilled to see him every time I did?

I didn't want to go home. The thought struck me quite suddenly one day, and I knew it was truth the moment it did.

Life was good here. Here, where I'd done good by my friends, where my family was whole.

But life was also so damn predictable it's sad--just when things start going great, and everything's on the right track, something happens to ruin it all.

And in my case, it started with the arrival of Gaara.

* * *

The days kind of blurred together, they way they used to when I went on week-long training frenzies. Only, this was a better kind of blur. A happier blur. It was the same kind of feeling I got in my world after a tiring mission, when Kakashi was promising to take us for ramen, and Sakura was piping some irritating nonsense about a date, and Naruto was exhausted and excited simultaneously, slumped against me for support as we made our way to Ichiraku's...

_It's funny that I only now realize those were happy times. _

I was usually late to breakfast, like I was currently, because apparently the prince got to sleep in. I found that a bit unfair, and wondered if the staff was aware of the fact that I'd get soft pretty quickly if I didn't train as hard as the others in my age group.

Nevertheless, I smiled to see Naruto sitting at the table between Shikamaru and Kiba, munching delightedly into a roll. Lee turned at the sound of the door opening and smiled that big smile I'd gotten so used to, waving me over. I obligingly sat next to him, wondering how a person could be so sincerely friendly to someone they hadn't known for very long.

I reached across the table for the juice, and surreptitiously glanced at Shikamaru's plate as I did so. There was still plenty of food on it, but Shikamaru had definitely eaten more than he had when he'd first arrived. Smiling a bit to myself, I went about breakfast, content to listen to the animated conversation around me without joining in.

As we emerged onto the grounds, I saw that my group was doing staff work again; Neji, Shino and Chouji stood off to one side of the group, making no real attempt at pretending to practice. When they saw us they brightened immediately; that is to say, Shino and Neji relaxed a bit and Chouji positively beamed.

Kiba and Lee rushed past me, and Shikamaru moved at a slower pace, being met halfway. I stood back, watching the friends group around, and realized Naruto hadn't joined them.

"What's the matter?" I asked before I could help it, reaching to take his hand so I could hear his answer.

He smiled at me, a watered down version of the smile I was used to. _Nothing. I just wanted to give them their moment. I feel bad that they constantly have to worry about me. _

I frowned at once. "You know that's--"

_They may think of it as nothing, but they're such kind people. They really are. They'd do anything for each other._

"And for you."

_Yes. _His voice--his thoughts--changed tones. _I meant to thank you, by the way. You've taken a heavy weight off Shikamaru's shoulders. I know he had it hard, trying to make sure we all got by--and I'm sure that Neji, Chouji and Shino are thankful, too, that they can keep an eye on us now. Thank you--really._

The cobalt blue of his eyes were shining with the sincerest gratitude.

I felt my throat close up.

_I'm sorry I didn't do it sooner. _

Naruto frowned, but before he could form a question Kiba was waving an arm, calling out, "Naruto! Come over here, they're gonna teach us how to use these poles!"

I expected Naruto to join them, and I knew that while they were presenting it as a fun way to pass the time, my page friends were eager to teach Shikamaru's group a simple way to defend themselves; I liked the idea, though I promised myself that they'd never need to.

I was the prince, right? It shouldn't be too hard to keep four children and a puppy safe from harm.

But Naruto didn't move from my side, silently declining Kiba's invitation with a shake of his head and a smile. He heard--felt--my confusion, and told me, _It's alright. I'll stay with you._

"Naruto, they really won't mind if you join them," I told him, growing a little concerned. He seemed adamant about giving them time to pal around, as if he were a burden they could shove off on someone else for the time being.

When he simply shook his head, I frowned. "Well...fine, I guess." He didn't want to practice, that much was clear. _What the hell do I do now? _An idea struck me, and I gestured for Naruto to wait, moving to trot up to Iruka. I'd ask him if I could skip staff work to take Naruto around on Snow. _Not too much to ask, right...?_

A part of me wondered why my friends weren't constantly being told off for slacking. In the next moment I was remembering Chouji's smooth, perfect movements with his staff, Shino's flawless handling of the horses, Neji's clear eyes taking in everything--_Oh. 'Cause they're brilliant. _

That made sense.

"Iruka-sen--" _Dammit. _"Er...Iruka?"

He glanced at me. "Yes, Prince--"

"Iruka." All of a sudden Kakashi was next to me, making me yell and stumble sideways. He looked at me, before glancing back over at the brunet. "We have a slight situation."

Iruka's brow furrowed at once, and he glanced to the other pages who had paused in their routine at the arrival of the silver-haired man. Iruka barked, "Resume your work!" in a voice I'd heard him use often at the academy; there was a flurry of activity as the pages hastened to do so. Then he turned to Kakashi and said, "Let's go." Sparing me a glance as he started to leave, he said, "My apologies, Prince Sasuke."

"Uhh, don't worry about it..."

_What was _that _all about?_

"What was that all about?" someone muttered quite close to me, and I whipped around again. It was Chouji, and he looked slightly bemused. The rest of my group were standing around, too, looking to me as though I had the answers.

"How am I supposed to know?" I griped. "No one tells me anything around here." They grinned at this, and I scowled back halfheartedly. Chouji, Lee, Kiba and Naruto then looked expectantly at Shikamaru, who gave in with a sigh.

"There's a simple way of finding out," he said, and moved after Iruka and Kakashi at a leisurely pace. The other orphans and Chouji trotted after him, leaving the rest of us to follow in the slightly subdued manner of those who deal with insanity on a regular basis.

* * *

_Holy shit._

"Holy shit," Kiba whispered behind me.

"Prince Gaara," Iruka said quietly, looking horrified, "what's happened to you?"

The redhead glanced at him a little slowly. A thick stream of blood oozed down his face from his hairline, and from various open cuts as well. His hair was touseled and his clothes were torn; altogether, he looked a wreck.

"My father saw to it to banish me from Suna," he said after a moment of silence. I stilled at his words; and then wondered how much it took from him to say them so calmly. "I apologize for arriving here without warning like this, but...I honestly had no other place to go."

The flicker of his eyes told me his resolve was cracking quickly; I thought of the Gaara I knew from my world--_Is this how he looked before he became a monster?_

Before I could consider the significance of this, someone brushed past me and moved to him quickly. My heart nearly stopped when I saw Naruto rushing up to the boy who was about two seconds from becoming an empty killing machine.

I started to move after him, but Shikamaru caught my arm; he shook his head minutely, eyes trained on the blond. "He knows what he's doing," he said without any trace of uncertainty in his voice.

Iruka looked absolutely alarmed to see Naruto running up to Gaara, and turned to see the rest of us standing in a group in the entrance hall. Lee waved happily and Neji leaned over to push his hand down. Kakashi watched the blond with a look of supreme unconcern on his face, though I was so used to seeing that expression that I could read the underlying worry like a book.

Gaara blinked, looking down at the boy who was quite suddenly standing in front of him. His pale blue eyes were raw; it took every amount of self control I had to keep from shouting to Naruto to get away from him. The Gaara I remembered would be able to kill this Naruto _easily. _

But Naruto stood gazing up at him, and a sudden comprehension filled Gaara's face. Hesitating, he reached forward, and Naruto obligingly took his hand. Gaara's eyes widened, and that frightening meaninglessness in his expression faded swiftly.

I was stunned.

_How could Gaara have known?_

But I was watching Naruto hold both Gaara's hands in his own, sharing words with him no one else could hear; I knew very well that he was talking him through, telling him the things he needed to hear.

And I knew, also, that he had just saved that redhaired boy from complete destruction.

I wondered if Naruto knew it, too.

Act 5:  
End

(By the by, everyone--happy Christmas! Consider this a gift, from me to you. :D)


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: I'm trying to get into the habit of updating this more often. D: I really love this story, and I love writing it. It's just hard for me to get it..._written _sometimes. But it's nowhere near dead.

I know Sasuke may seem OOC, but I'm walking a very thin line here and I'm being really careful not to cross it. He's going through some major shit; I mean, his _best friend _died, and then he woke up in another _world. _Talk about an attitude adjustment. Cut him (coughme) some slack...

Also, I'm aware that they don't speak the way people did back in the day. I attempted that at first, but all the ye olde english stuff died on me early in.

Alright, so..... Things are learned in this chapter. :\

Castle

Chapter Five:

What Was Lost

Gaara didn't seem to talk much; and who could blame him? He was nearly as quiet as Naruto, and though he was taller, he made himself seem small. He watched everything with calculative blue eyes, as though waiting carefully for the moment when this friendly charade would end.

Not that my friends seemed to mind.

As soon as Naruto walked back to us with Gaara in tow, past a flustered-looking Iruka and a deeply amused Kakashi, the orphans (minus Shikamaru and with the addition of Chouji) rushed past me, swarming around Gaara, who looked appropriately alarmed at finding himself the sudden center of attention. Shikamaru moved a little slower, sinking to his knees and bringing his arms around Naruto in a sort of weary relief.

He _had _been concerned. But he had no reason to be, now that I thought of it… unless he'd picked up somehow on my inner panic, and it had frightened him. My comrades had always been scarily perceptive, regardless of whether or not they let on; a trait I'm sure they picked up from a certain dead-last.

I felt a grim shame settle on my shoulders, watching him hold Naruto (the blond looking confused and stricken that he'd caused Shikamaru such distress); I'd scared him into thinking something horrible would happen, and he had no way of knowing what to do, or how to act, since he had no clue what the problem was.

So in those few minutes, he'd worked himself into a mild panic—all because of me.

_I have to get ahold of myself, or this sort of thing's going to keep happening. _

Shikamaru stood now, Naruto gripping his hand tightly, and moved to Gaara; shaking me firmly from my reverie. "You're probably hungry," he said then, in a tone that made everyone who knew him smile. He was looking at Gaara the same way he'd look at Kiba or Lee; as someone he would care for if they'd allow it.

I wondered for a moment if Gaara would be offended at the unspoken offer; but I guess I should've known better. No one followed any of my expectations here, so I probably should've been expecting the very small smile on his face and slight incline of his head; and as Lee slung an arm around his shoulders, and Kiba and Chouji started tugging him in the direction of the mess hall, Neji nudged my shoulder and gestured at Iruka and Kakashi, who seemed to be having a disagreement.

Glancing at him, I nodded. Moving away from the others as they made their way down the hall, I stepped up to the two men who were my teachers in another world. Their conversation broke off the moment I joined them, and Iruka said immediately, "Prince, while I commend your hospitality, I really think—"

"What's the harm in letting Suna's prince stay?" Kakashi interrupted, seizing an opportunity to continue their argument. "It'd be good for politics—Konoha's never really been friendly with Suna, but that doesn't stop us from housing and caring for their heir to the throne—or, previous heir to the throne."

"This isn't a joke," Iruka told him quietly, and I felt myself get a little worried; I'd seen Iruka yell plenty of times when he was upset. But the look on his face and his silent anxiety seemed much more ominous than any of his threats had ever been.

"No council is ever going to say it was wrong to take in a banished prince—if in doing so we were honoring an alliance that's been shaky from the very start."

"This isn't a pet we're talking about, it's a child. I understand your line of thinking, but it's rather inappropriate considering the circumstances. Prince Gaara was just thrown out of the only home he's ever known, the very last thing he needs is—"

"This," I interjected. They looked at me. I continued, "The very last thing he needs right now is adults standing over him and making his decisions. Telling him what to do and where he'll go, talking behind his back about what an unfortunate situation he's in, and how troublesome it is that it's fallen on Konoha to handle, how grateful he should be—"

I realized with a start just who it was I was beginning to sound like.

And I found myself missing him so much it hurt.

Apparently looking over my abrupt silence, Kakashi said, "I didn't mean to speak of him as if he were a pawn."

"Well you did," Iruka retorted, looking annoyed at us both. But he couldn't really argue with me, now could he? "The prince is right, Hatake. What Gaara needs right now isn't politics. It's people his own age, in a place as safe as this castle." He smiled at me suddenly, and his expression was one of gratitude. "I think he'd be happy to stay here, Prince Sasuke."

And although it was a genuine gesture, his smile was lacking in warmth—I could tell only because I'd seen him smile with all his heart before. I didn't blame him, because I completely understood; it wasn't a conscious decision on his part. I supposed that no matter what the world, Iruka's warmest, gentlest smiles would always be reserved for Naruto.

I was thankful, somewhere; that the kind-hearted man, who was so _broken _back home, was so happy here—in the same castle as the most precious person to him in the world.

* * *

It didn't take long for Gaara to fall in to step with us here at the castle. It was just a few days after his initial arrival, and already he was a part of our lives, as simple as that. I found him a room that would serve comfortably and then sought out one of the servants, asking them to help him find anything he might need. The room was rather large, and he looked little standing there alone, but he didn't seem too upset.

He probably grew up that way here; surrounded by expensive things in a room much too big for just one kid.

Not that he ever seemed to have a spare minute to spend alone. I'd only seen him by himself a handful of times; and even then, those rare moments of solitude were broken in the next instant by the arrival of someone from my—our—group accosting him and dragging him off to god knows where.

He always allowed himself to be led away, and it always made him smile. It continued to amaze me, how thoughtful my friends were.

Gaara was different here from the one I knew. He was quiet, but he was kind; shy, and polite. It was a complete turnaround from the monster of a boy I'd met before. And while he had the thick black rings around his eyes that I recognized from my world, his forehead wasn't scarred. I wondered what that meant.

* * *

It was raining heavily outside, and the day had turned cold and dark. We were in the library, settled in front of the huge fireplace on a ridiculously comfortable rug spread out before the hearth. Kiba, Lee and Chouji had fallen asleep in a pile next to Shikamaru, who was fast asleep on his side, facing them. Shino and Neji had both nodded off in the chairs they'd drug over some time ago, and Naruto was leaned against my side, his breathing rythmic and his mind hushed and wandering.

I was fascinated by the things that drifted from his head to mine when he was asleep and we were still connected; faded or distorted images filtering through to me and soft sounds whispering through my thoughts.

My eyes fell on Gaara, who was in the chair between mine and Shino's. He was leaned to the side, his head tipped away from me. I thought at first he was sleeping, and my mind began to slip back into the strangeness swimming crookedly into my head from the boy still clutching the book of fairy tales that had led him to sleep.

"You can hear him dreaming, can't you?"

I glanced over again at Gaara, to be met this time with his pale blue eyes. "I thought you were sleeping," I said, rather than answer his rather pointed question.

He shifted noiselessly to face me, saying quietly, "I don't sleep."

I was surpised for a moment, before understanding dawned on me. _Well, duh. _I admonished myself for forgetting something so obvious. Gaara had chronic insomnia back in my world. _I guess I just got used to everything being switched around. _Realizing that I should still _act _surprised, since his condition shouldn't be something I knew already, I said hurriedly, "Really? Ever?"

He rested his chin on the armrest, looking, once again, as little as Naruto. I wondered what it was about the two of them that made them seem so small. "I've never slept," he whispered. "Not since I was a baby."

I stared at him. He seemed to draw himself in, eyes focused blankly on the floor between us.

"...Why?" I asked finally, stunned and managing (remarkably) not to show it. "How...?"

_How is that possible? To never sleep?_

Gaara didn't respond for a long time, and I wasn't going to press him into an answer. After what seemed like hours, he said softly, "It's a secret, but I'm banished. So what have I got to lose?" He got up and moved his chair closer to mine, careful not to wake up our sleeping companions. I watched him resettle himself, unsure if I wanted to hear his story--but the uncertainty only lasted for a moment, because when he opened his mouth I was all ears.

* * *

_Years ago, there were monsters. Terrifying demons, impossible to imagine, that preyed upon the villages. They were everywhere--no land was safe from them, there was no way to know when they would attack, no way to prepare._

_There was no way to defeat them. The lives of countless people were lost._

_When someone discovered a way to get rid of them, not a single person anywhere cared about the measures. As long as it was done, and the nightmare could be over, they didn't care at what cost this miracle came. _

_The idea was to contain the demons, since they couldn't be destroyed. To cage them up--in a _vessel_. But it couldn't be just any vessel. It had to be a _living _host; it had to be without sickness or fault; it had to be in a stage of complete underdevelopment, at a point in which the body would not reject the presence of the beast._

_A baby. _

_It didn't matter that they'd be lost. What was one life compared to hundreds?_

_But before the demon could be caged, the container had to chose a thing to surrender. Because nothing can be added to something that's already full._

_A hole had to be created in their present and future--a gap for the monster to fill in. _

* * *

"Even though I was a baby then, I can remember. Maybe that's because of the demon, making sure I won't forget."

Ninja training kept my expression under control. "So you--"

"My sacrifice was sleep," Gaara said with a slight nod. He was looking at his hands. "But my demon keeps me alive. When I die, he does. You'd think it was a gift, but...."

My arms tightened around Naruto of their own accord. "And he's..."

"A container? Yeah."

I couldn't manage surprise. It explained too much to startle me. Of course...the Naruto from my world was a _Jinchuuriki._ The red chakra, the entire village _hating _him...._The Kyuubi--the nine-tailed fox from over a decade ago...It has to be that. _

"So?"

Shikamaru's voice yanked me unceremoniously from my thoughts. I looked in his direction to find him sitting up and staring straight at me, looking not in the least bit sleepy. His eyes betrayed nothing; they never did. "What are you going to do now that you know? Turn him in? Or kill him yourself?" There was something dangerous in his tone.

I was alarmed and unconciously drew the blond closer. "What are you talking about?"

Gaara was still curled up in his chair, and didn't look surprised in the slightest by Shikamaru's words. He looked at me and said, "Containers are the embodiments of the destructive demons from so long ago. Obviously people would want them gone." He spoke like it was someone else's story. "The main concern, though, was that killing the babies right after the sealing would simply release the demon into the world again; it was decided that the infant and the demon needed time to...well, grow together. Most containers are dead, because they were kept track of and killed at three to four years old."

He paused, then continued. "My demon won't let anyone harm me. It wants to live. It tells me all the time it wants to take over my body someday." He glanced from me to Naruto, then looked away. "Naruto's demon must like him. It's because of the demon that Naruto can communicate the way he does. It didn't have to help him like that."

I was staring at him in horror, completely forgetting my shinobi mask. I looked from him to Shikamaru incredulously. "They _killed _them?" My voice was too loud; Naruto stirred, and the nonsensical whispers I heard from him became slightly more coherent. I took this to mean he was waking, and quickly soothed him back to sleep. When he was still again, my eyes snapped back up to meet Shikamaru's and I hissed, "_Well?_"

If anything, my reaction reassured him. The open hostility in his face eased away, and he relaxed a little. "Yeah," he said bitterly. "All of the containers they could find. They wanted them gone. There were even rewards circulating from the rulers of the lands. Anyone who brought in a _demon child _would recieve a monetary reward for his services." He looked at the boy beside me and said quietly, "You have no idea how hard it was to keep him safe."

If I'd been able to move, I'd probably have been stalking circles around the library like a caged panther. "There's no way anyone's laying a hand on him," I said fiercly. I looked at the redhead to my right. "Or you, Gaara. Not while I'm breathing."

Act 6:

End

(Short ;A; I'm sorry...!)


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: Okay, so...it's been five months... Hey! Better than _Shifting Waters! _I haven't updated that one since February...! 8D; And...I don't really want to talk about _Ended Like This. _

Okay, for real now, I'm totally sorry for being such a loser. Completely unawesome on my part, for sure. I'm trying extremely hard to get back on track though guys, like woah, so don't give up on me yet.

P.S. - There's a meet-up in Illinois for Hetalia Day (October 24th); fans can gather, cosplay, eat, chillax together, and it's totally free. PM for details if you're interested. :3

Castle

Chapter Six:

This Time

_"You have no idea how hard it was to keep him safe."_

Those words wouldn't get the fuck out of my head even three days later, and there I was, laying on the floor next to my bed so I didn't fall asleep, staring at the ceiling and thinking them over.

There had been shadows in Shikamaru's eyes as he said it. I wondered what it was they'd been through.

The what-ifs were scarily plausible, and I ran the possibilities through my mind over and over, _wondering _if the reality was as bad or worse and knowing I'd never ask.

But I was glad - that no matter what world, Naruto had friends who cared so much about him; who loved him enough to take care of him, even when I wasn't around to.

_I'm never around when it matters. _

* * *

I pulled my arm back, entirely too satisfied with the feel of the other page's face crushed beneath my fist. I was pretty sure I'd get chewed out for decking the bastard; it was _unwise _for me to get into fights with other pages, because _their _fathers may or may not be important in _my _father's court, and if the prince beat up their kid, they could be highly offended, or something like that.

But honestly? I could give a fuck less.

_Sasuke..._

I glanced down at Naruto, feeling my chest ache at the sight of the black eye forming. _Does that hurt?_

_I'm fine. _He looked upset. _You're gonna get in trouble 'cause you did that, aren't you? You shouldn't've -_

_Doesn't matter. _I was unrelenting. _You're my friend, Naruto, and I'll kick anyone's ass who tries to hurt you. That's a promise._

The promise of a lifetime.

* * *

"Do you really have to go?"

I hadn't known Kiba could pull off _cute_; but he did, whether or not he knew it, as he clutched Shino's sleeve and mumbled the question, clear brown eyes locked onto his friend's darker ones.

"We do," Chouji affirmed apologetically from where he sat with Shikamaru, a huge book spread across their laps. "We've skipped out on way too much, and His Grace will get annoyed."

"That, and the prince has to keep up appearances," Neji added quietly. "If word gets around that he's slacking or falling behind - "

" - it wouldn't be good," I muttered, trying my best not to sulk and probably failing, judging by the looks on their faces.

There was a trip the pages went on as a group, to some remote place in the kingdom where they were expected to live in the forest, making camp, living off rations, providing for their mounts, etc. - as well as possibly clearing out a few bandit nests.

It would've been interesting (as well as a bit of a joke, since with my shinobi training I could survive in the wildnerness for months with nothing but my bare hands) if not for the fact that I'd be leaving Naruto, Gaara, and the other orphans behind at the castle. And since my fellow pages would be going with me, accompanied by Iruka, there'd be no one to watch over them while we were gone except for Kakashi, and even then only if he _felt _like it which didn't make me feel any better at _all. _

Even inside the castle walls, there were people who would try to hurt them - as the boy from a few days ago had proved, beating up Naruto just because he was small and no one else was around. I glanced down at him.

He was sitting next to me with Gaara, playing with a little rabbit Neji had caught for them. Feeling my eyes, he glanced up at me and smiled; his bruise was fading and the sight of it still made me want to commit murder.

I heard his question before I felt his hand on mine: _What's wrong?_

I sighed inwardly. _Nothing. _

_You're worried about us being here on our own._

_If you knew, why bother asking?_

_It was just a guess. _Before I could come up with a response to that, he continued, _Don't be. We'll be okay._

I made the mistake of meeting his eyes. My resolve - well, stubbornness I guess - splintered and cracked in about four seconds.

_Goddammit. _

Naruto laughed soundlessly, but in my head it was cheerful and familiar. _Glad you agree. _

And then Gaara laid a hand on his other arm, presumably to ask him a question, and Naruto's awareness trickled away from mine, still there, though, as was his hand on my wrist, should I want to speak to him again.

I wondered how strange it was to communicate like that; to have a little piece of you inside someone else's mind, more than one someone at times, hearing and seeing everything. And I wondered if it was a little like making a million clones, with a piece yourself inside each one, fighting and killing and dying over and over and over again until you were left tired, weak and alone.

* * *

It was the last time we'd see them for weeks, and I was as close to panic as a well-trained Genin could get. Uncalled for? Maybe. We were leaving them in a fortified castle for Christ sake, there _literally _wasn't a safer place for them to be.

_But I won't be here. _

And the last time I wasn't there, he -

_"Sa...Sasuke...teme..."_

Darkness pressed over my vision like bruises and I swayed where I stood, unable to breathe for just an instant - afraid that if I did I'd gasp or sob or something else that would draw way too much attention. As it was, no one glanced my way and I shook my head to clear it of bloody swords and unseeing blue eyes.

But of course things couldn't be that easy; because then I felt fingertips touch my face and Naruto's voice in my head whisper, _You're a _really _bad actor. _

So fast I surprised myself, I pulled back the memories of my home and shoved them as far out of the way as I could, before replying, "I have no idea what you're talking about," and moving his hand away.

He was staring at me, and for one terrifying second he looked hurt. Wounded, even, his thin wrist captive in my hand. And then he shifted, drawing away, his voice slipping seamlessly into silence.

I reached after him immediately, something in the back of my mind crying out the wrongness, and to my relief he didn't recoil.

_You're keeping secrets, _he muttered, in a tone I'd heard him use countless times back home.

_I'm sorry. _

His voice moved through my head like a sigh, and he nodded, looking resigned and just a bit sad. _It's okay. It's none of my business anyway. I was just being nosey._

It was times like these that made me realize this Naruto was so different compared to mine; considerate and careful as he pulled slowly away from me.

I guess it was selfish of me to expect his hand to close around my shirt and drag me closer, for his voice to ring loudly in my ears as he called me out on my evasiveness, for his blue eyes to burn brightly into mine - full of care and compassion and fire.

His eyes snapped up to mine, and I realized a split second too late that his thoughts were still weaved through mine, his fingers barely brushing my hand.

_What? _His voice was so quiet.

Iruka was calling over the heads of the pages that it was time to saddle up and ride out. Naruto's eyes were wide and still, locked onto me in a way that made me feel like a rat sighted by a hawk.

What had he heard? What did he see?

I ran.

Act 7:

End

(Omgggg. Shortest yet. I fail.)


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: So I was randomly struck in the face with inspiration and I sat down and wrote this. It doesn't really...I dunno, it doesn't fit the feel of the story so far, but I do think that somehow a chapter like this was inevitable.

Explain? Why, I'd love to. C:

See, Sasuke may be an elite, untouchable ninja with a chip on his shoulder the size of Rhode Island, but here he's also a kid who lost his best friend - a friend like Naruto who promised just by _breathing _that he'd always be around. To lose someone like that, no matter who you are, would be too painful for words. And then, far from home and still hurting, to be presented with a _doppleganger _of that friend? Someone completely different and yet wearing your dead friend's face?

Also, this new world is a strange one. Strange in a loooot of different ways. Keep that in mind, yeah? /vague

So...Sasuke's been coping, but can we really expect that to last much longer? Naruto's _dead. _Time to face facts.

Castle

Chapter Seven:

Crashing Down

_I am such a fuck-up._

_How could I have messed up this badly? I'm a ninja for fuck's sake. It should've been the easiest thing in the world for me to shut those memories up in a box and lock them away somewhere. Instead I was stupid and he _saw _- _

_What? He saw _what_? _

It killed me not to know. But remembering the look in his eyes when he saw whatever the hell it was he saw killed me a bit more.

It was hard to concentrate on much of anything besides the gnawing terror in the pit of my stomach, and the others could tell I wasn't going to be much conversation; not that I ever was, really. But I managed to catch a few of the concerned glances sent my way, and the careful distance they maintained, giving me space and keeping everyone else away too. It was enough to remind me to remember myself, and I sat up a little straighter, cooling my expression in a way that made me feel safer than any castle's walls did. I reminded myself I was a shinobi, and that carelessly displaying emotions like that was weak-minded. Emotion made you weak. Maybe it was sick and twisted but it worked, and I felt better.

_I'll deal with the repurcussions. It'll be fine. I could tell him it was...a dream I had or something. Whatever he saw, it was just a dream._

But I knew he knew something was up. That explanation wouldn't cut it.

I shut my eyes, tortured despite my best attempts not to be.

_It'll just...have to do._

_

* * *

_Although I was told with some pretty heavy sarcasm from the fourth-year pages that the little camping trip would just _fly by_, it actually was pretty short. It got cut short, anyway. Because, lucky us, we actually _did _find some bandits. A camp of them. They weren't what we were expecting; scrawny, hungry-looking people, all skin and bones and ragged clothes. Dirty children and half-starved dogs were everywhere.

And after about an hour, we had the nest contained. Konoha - _both of them, I guess -_ trained its young fighters well. It wasn't a big deal and we had it more or less under control, especially with Iruka there; but that isn't to say no one got hurt. Some of the bigger men were able to put up a hell of a fight and all the bandits fought with a desperate strength.

Neji, Shino and I managed to come out of the mess with nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises, but Chouji was one of the not-quite-so-lucky ones. One side of his face was a mess of dark bruises, cuts and scrapes spanning the length of his neck and disappearing under the collar of his shirt, and he cradled a broken a wrist as he rode. I wasn't even sure how it happened. In all the chaos, our small group was separated, and when he'd found us again it was looking like he'd fallen down a very jagged cliff.

He'd grinned and waved off our concern, didn't really go into detail - like it didn't matter much. Somehow that made it worse. But I didn't know what to say, and a glance at Shino and Neji told me enough; whatever I came up with would fall a million miles short. So we didn't say anything.

We did, however, force Chouji to see a healer, who did a half-assed job mending his cuts and barely faded any of his bruises. Chouji came back to us still looking more or less the same way he did when he left, making some lame excuse about the healer probably not wanting to spread his power too thin when it could be needed later, telling us not to worry because he'd taken some of the hurt off of Chouji's wrist anyway; and it took a lot of self-control (and, okay, Neji giving me a good shove in the opposite direction) not to go back and make the healer's face match Chouji's.

Because _damn. _

Nonetheless, our company was a happy one for the most part when we finally returned home; flushed with their first success, the pages trotted their horses in with the king's colors flying high above them and looking rather impressive, as far as kids went. My group, at the back of the company, came at a much slower pace, drawing off to the side and dismounting.

We took our time tending to our horses, leading them to the stables and cleaning tack and checking saddles. I didn't mind; but as I brushed Snow down, I glanced over my shoulder at Chouji.

It didn't really matter what _exactly _happened; anyone with an aversion to bleeding, bruising or swelling wouldn't last a week on the road to knighthood. What mattered was that he didn't care.

_I've become a hypocrite since I arrived here. That's nice._ I resolved to bring the matter up again, rather than let it die down the way Chouji was probably hoping it would.

Wandering up to the castle, I realized that I'd been too preoccupied to panic about a certain blue-eyed mindspeaker. About four seconds after that, everything in my head shut down with the exception of my basic motor skills, because I was _way _too fucking tired to deal with anything that wasn't my bed.

When I finally managed to find my room, I shoved the heavy door open and didn't bother shutting it or taking off more than my shoes and shirt on my way across the room. I sank onto the down blankets and felt myself drift off dreamlessly.

* * *

I woke up to urgency and my eyes flew open immediately, mind scrambling to recall what it was that was so pressing, so important -

And then the hazy confusion of the morning melted into understanding and I relaxed again with a frown, rubbing a hand over my face and glancing to the side. A small hand was on my arm, and sky blue eyes lightened with intense relief when I met them. It had been Naruto's worry filling my head. A second later the hand was retracted, and the blond drew away from where he'd been perched on the side of the bed, looking sorry.

And it was clear what he was thinking, even without telepathy; there were times, back home, when I could read him better than even Iruka could. And now I could see it plainly - he'd been worried.

Immediately my reproach eased into something warmer and I sat up slowly, incredibly stiff. "It's alright," I told him, wondering if the ache on my arm was a bruise and checking to see that, sure enough, the skin was an impressive blue. A part of me was surprised at the nonchalance with which I was dealing with him - he'd _seen_ something, something that could be the end of everything if it was big enough, bad enough…

Then I realized it was self-preservation again. Convincing myself it wasn't a big deal, pretending I didn't _care _if he hated me, that whatever happened would be something I could deal with - well, all that made facing him a lot easier, even if was a load of bullshit.

But he was looking ready to cry, and all that apathy I was building up to keep myself from breaking when everything finally went to hell just kind of dissipated. He was wringing his hands, a gesture I found I didn't like at all associated with him. Those hands needed to be clenched, those eyes should be _shining, _and dammit, he should be laughing and loud and obnoxious and so fucking annoying but so so compassionate and strong and full of love and passion about the smallest, stupidest, most insignificant thing in the world, seeking out the smallest piece of something huge to make it shine and glow and _matter _in the biggest way, reaching out to the pieces of people they didn't know where there and making them better than they ever were before in that crazy impossible irresistible unexplainable _way _he had, that way he had of just _being there _and making you feel safer and more special and wonderful than you ever could have thought possible, that way of standing up and defending everything close to his heart with _all _his heart, like he couldn't bear the thought of his voice ringing silent when it could be a single voice that might change the world because he had that kind of amazing _faith_, a faith in people, even though people have hurt him over and over and over and over and over and over again and again and again and again but they didn't break him because he couldn't _be _broken, because he was Naruto, my Naruto, _our Naruto, _our stupid clumsy clever unbreakable _wildfire_, our cockroach, our sun -

_He's dead he's dead he's dead he's dead he's dead he's dead_

He was dead, and this stupid, strange place I was in brought me no closer to him than I was at his funeral - an arms length away, and at the same time worlds apart.

He had been _right there _in that stupid casket, and still a million miles out of my reach.

He was gone.

Dead.

_Dead. _

A word like a land mine.

But slowly, painstakingly, something soft and cool was brushing its way over the sharp edges in my mind, the desperation and sorrow and regret and anger, whispering and sighing its way through to the darkest parts, easing away all the hurt.

Tears were falling down Naruto's face as he did his best to push all the badness away, his arms wrapped tightly around me; and it was probably those arms and that embrace that held me sane. So much like _my_ Naruto - forcing the good on you and tearing away the bad, whether you like it or not.

I wasn't sure how much time went by with the two of us sitting there. It was quiet and I felt like I'd just run a three hour drill in three minutes; my limbs were weak and heavy, my breathing ragged, my whole body trembling. And Naruto never moved away.

I must have scared him. I scared me. _God only knows what he's seeing._

But he didn't leave. He never left. And that was comforting. I knew I'd look back on these moments and cringe, but...

For now...

I closed my eyes and leaned against him, feeling his arms tighten around me a little more... And even though he was _different - _

those arms were the same.

Act 8:

End


End file.
